Sheet-feeding mechanism



Dec. 11, I928.

fi ing 239 L. E. MORRISON I SHEET FEEDING MECQANISM OriginaLl' Filed A rii a; 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet ,2

anomtoz $51 114'0 Qua/nu;

am '5. QWM

Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694;7l7

. v L. E. MORRISON SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM ori inal Filed April 9, 1925 s She ts-Shet 3 5 Shets-Sheet 4 a Y ww L. E. MORRISON SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed April 9, 1925 Dec. 11, 1928.

Dec. 11, 1928. 1,694,717

L. E. MORRISON SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed April 9, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Svwenboz Q5003 %M1)JOW all KEV] JERfiEY,

laid a ASSIGNOB, 'I'Q AMERICAN TYPE FOUNIDEBS COIVEPAIFIY, A CGR'EGRATION OF NEW SHEETJFEEDING BEECHANZSTJI.

Orininal anlicatiou filed April a, 1825. Serial No. 21,!"7.

Serial No. 38,311.

his inyention relates to improvements in pa per feeding mechanisms of the type disclosed in my pending ll. 55. patent application Serial Number 21.774", filed April 9. 1925. from which this application is divided.

'ihe said. pending application discloses an automatic feeder especially adapted for use with a Golding platen press, though not liinitod to such use.

lhe present invention has reference to certain iinproyei'nents involving a paper fcedinn device not restricted. in its use to any pal tieular type of printing press or otherniachines and the objects of the present invention are to gonerall improve paper feeding devices, the novel features of which will appear more clearly this specification prereeds.

The invention illustrated in the accon1- panying drawings in connection with a Goldingr printing: press as a more example of a u'iachine for which. the feeder is adapted. In the I dra W inns l igure l is a right hand View of a Golding press equipped with a feeder embodying the invention. The feeder is illustrated diagranr 'matically with details omitted and. parts broken away.

liigure 2 is a detail left hand View of parts of the feeder.

ll re 3 is a front VlOW of the feeder.

l. re a is an enlarged. right hand side view of the feeder mechanism parts being broken away.

Figure 5 is a rear View of one side of the feeder looking in the direction ofthe arrow 5 in Fi gure 4t.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure +1: but shows the feeder in feeding position with parts in section and other parts broken away.

Figure 7 is a left hand side View of parts of the i'uechanisin for feeding; the paper to the proper height for separation.

lip ore 8 is a rear View thereof.

Figure 9 is an inside detail View of parts shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 10 is a View in continuation at the top of the parts shown in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a detail View of the paper raising mechanism or pile elevator.

Figure 12 is a detail View showing the parts operating the pile elevator.

Throughout this specification reference is made to the aforesaid pending application Divided and this application filed. February G,

and the reference characters in the drawings are identical with the reference characters used in the pending application. The Golding press so well known in the art that no particular description or illustration thereof is required. It is suflicient for the purposes of this 'nvcntion to identify the press in Figure l by the frame A, the form 2 and the platen 3.

The automatic feeder comprises suitable supptnbting means 9 secured to the press or other machine. 10 the feeder base. its described in said pending application, the en tire feeder is adapted to be swung to one side for purposes of accessibility to the main inachii Before entering upon a detailed description of the several. parts, the general operation had better be understood and is as follows: In Figure l. the feeder is shown in iiiorinal aquerative relation to the press. On the opening 0: the platen a sheet of paper is separated from the pile by suction pickers 31, and as the platen swings do wn the feeding mechanism su 'ings towards the press to deposit a sheet on the platen. see Figure 6. If a sheet previously been printed the delivery 7 per 109 seizes it and. the feeder swings bach into normal positioi'i, the delivery gripper removes the printed sheet from the platen and deposits it in the delivery box 16.

lhe pile of sheets of paper 30 rests on a paper elevator platform 11. The top sheet of paper is separated. by suction. pickers 31. carried by hollow arm 82 mounted in bear inns 39 which are adjustably clamped to a pieier shaft tl by wing nuts 49;. Figure Suction is applied to the pickers through suitable hose connections 1 i leading in a well known manner to a suction pump not shown. These parts are fully described in the said pending application.

The picker shaft 41 is journaled in two up right arms 4&6, d6, one on each side of the feeder. The arms 46 are pivoted at their lower ends at 4t? to levers d8 and 49, Figures 1. and 2. The lever 48 is formed with a cam 50.

The two levers L8 and 4.9 with the parts carried thereby constitute a separator carriage pivoted on the separator arms 58 and The carriage rests by gravity on stops 69 and Y0 secured to the separator arms. one on each side.

During the separation of the feedersud tion is applied to the pickers which are caused to descend upon the top sheet by a suitable mechanism, not shown herein, to pick up the top sheet, after which the separator carriage is swung tmvard the platen. by the separator arms 53 and 51, which are pivoted at their hivxcr ends on a shaft 99 journaled in the 80 and 90. To this end, each. of the onnected by a link 100 to the grip 101 and 102. These latter are car on a shaft 103 supported on the base 10.

The receptacle 16 is carried by suitable supports 180, 180 at the front of the press, At the rear edge or entrance into the box 16 there is journaled a shaft 181 which carries two uprights 182, 182. A bar 183 is fixed to the upper ends of the uprights 182 and said bar carries sheet guiding and supporting fingers 18% in the form of curved wires.

At each side of the box 16 there is also supported a shaft 185 which carries thin rubber disks 186. The shaft 185 is adapted to be driven by a belt 187 from a turbine shaft 201 supported underneath the box 16. The turbine shaft carries a turbine or wind wheel 188 within a cylindrical casing 189. The shaft 181 carries an arm 190 connected with a cable 191 to another arm 192 secured to the shaft 99 to which the separator arms afore said are secured. This feature is shown clearly in Figure 1. One of the said uprights 182, Figure 1, carries a stop 193 which is held against the one support 194; for the said shaft 185 by a spring 202 coiled around the shaft 181, Figure 3.

To the aforesaid fixed frames 80 and 90, Figure 6 there is pivoted at 195 on each side of the feeder a lever 196 which extends towards the platen. The free ends of the levers 196 are joined by a shelf 197 having side guides 198. From the levers 196 links 199 extend downward. The lower ends of the links are pivoted at 200 to the aforesaid arm 192.

In operation when the platen is closed the delivery mechanism elements are in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 6. The sheet fingers 18 1 are held in over the delivery box 16 by the spring 202 which tends to rotate the shaft 181 anticlockwise, the stop 193 resting against the support 194. The turbine 188 is not running.

Referring now to Figure 6 it will be seen that as the platen moves down into sheet re ceiving position, the levers 196 are lowered on their pivots 195 by the links 199 which are moved down due to the downward movement of the arm 192 on the shaft 99, Figure 1, which shaft is moved clockwise in said figure.

Consequently the shelf 197 is lowered just past and slightly below the platen as in Figure 6 to bridge the gap between the platen and the delivery box. At the same time, how ever, the shaft 181 has been rotated clockwise in. Figure 6 by the cable 191 and arm 190 against the action of the spring 202 to open up, as it were, or move towards the platen, the sheet guiding lingers 181. The combined effect of these movements is, that as the )rinted sheet is removed from. the platen in over the shelf 197 and fingers 184; and towards the delivery box, said shelf and fin ers are raisrd and support the body of the sl'ieet, the del v ery edge of which is held by the grippers, and raise the rear portion of the sheet so that the latter is evenly and smoothly delivered into the box 16. If it is desired to 111113211"? to the sheet a quick motion into the box 16, the turbine 188 is operated to rotate the shaft 185 and rubber disks 186 (in contact with which the sheet is being delivered) to cause said rubber disks to frictionally engage the sheet to speed it on its way into the box 16. This is a very necessary feature with thin and large sheets to get them quickly out of the way and prevent them from i eing blown about. The numeral 203 in Figure indicates the delivered sheets in the box 16 in which they are jogged into final position.

In order to operate the feeder rapidly to supply the platen with paper, it is necessary that the stack of paper in the feed box or support 11 be kept up to a certain level to cooperate properly with the separating mechanism. This is accomplished by the pile clevator mechanism.

The pile elevator, Figures 3, 6 and 7 to 12 inclusive comprises the elevator platform 11, upon which the paper rests, carri d by two supports 220, 220 mounted to slide vertically in the fixed frames and on each side of the feeder at the front thereof. The lower ends 221 of the supports are connected by cables 222 to a ratchet 224 on a winding shaft 223 suitably journaled on Jiid frames. To the shaft is secured a ratchet 22 1 which engaged by a pawl 225 to rotate the shaft 223 to wind up the cables to lift the elevator. The pawl is pivoted at 226 to an arm 227 which is operated once to each feeding stroke of the feeder by means of a link 228 pivoted at 229 to the separator arm Figure 12. The link 228 is connected to the arm 227 by a pin 230 and slot 231 connection so that the said shaft 223 will be rotated to lift the elevator towards the end of the feeding stroke when the separating mechanism is clear off the paper 30.

It is obviously undesirable and almost impossible to lift the elevator for each sheet removed from the pile of paper 30, because the lifting movement is necessarily greater than the thickness of a sheet of paper. Means are therefore provided for controlling the operation of the actuating pawl 225 aforesaid so that it will. on gage the ratchet 22 1 only when the pile of paper 30 has been depleted to a certain low level below the pickers 31.

This is accomplished by a feelcr 531, Figure 3, which adapted to rest upon the paper moi li y grfrzivil r. said l'eelnr being; sutured lo an mm 1.32 niouullcd on lhe upper end. ol' a pawl controlling; rod or member 233 which slides williin a guiding; luhc 21H. 'lhc lowcr cnd ol said controlling; rod 233 is adaplcd lo cause l'he miganjcnlcul. olf (he paw 2521i wilih lhc ralchcl I disengaged 'l'roin 'lihc dial lhe pawl ol ow;

'lroni Elie ra'lchcl' unlil slopped by the pawl slop 2 3 which zarrics a pin 23h. ro the fi'lllllO (1-10 is pivoted at" 223? a. balanced lever 2238 which carries a shell? 239 which extends in over and rests on the said pin 236.

llhen the feeler 531 has moved down on top of the paper 30 lio a level which requires l'hc paper to be e .e .*aie(h the control. rod 233 is caused to drop upon the shell to depress shell 235 to tip the pawl into engage men: with the ralche'. 224:.

ll is obvious, l'iowevcr. that the feeler Sill cannot be left lo rest on lop oi: the paper with the \Hlf ilof the control rod l rl because such a comliliion would prm-cnla the separation ol l'he lop sheet. lilo-ans are l'herefore prrix id-zal 'lor normally taking l'he weight ol'; ll c conlrol rod oil the paper all the time separalion l'21l';$ place and between each separalion llie control is permitted to drop, so that if the control drops to paper level between scparalion it will cause the engagement of the pawl and ratchet as aforesaid.

To this end the control rod carries a doll tbll) which, extends through a. slot in the liuhc 234-. Said dog; adapted to rcsl: on a slop 242 carried by a slide 243 on the side lrame S0. The slop slide 2+3 rests by gravilu v on lZ-l'lC upper end 244: of a slop control member 24.5, the slide llflVll'lQ' an abulii'nenl'v 246 for this purpose. The stop control 245 is in turn carried by a link which is pi'roled. ao 25? lo the separator arm 5i. The link 2% has lwo stop screws 24? and 24-2,

ll'v lihe pawl 225 'lcheir by gravity in weight falls away and lhe stop ccmtrol has two slots 24$) iflzroun'h which said screws project. A strong; spring 250 is inlwrposcd between l'hc stop conl'i'ol. 24-5 and l he screw 248 in the link 25c Vl heu l'he separator carria-ire moves inward lhc plal u with a separated sheer. lihc linl:

256 is pulled, down also. its screws 241T and 2 1% ino'vii'ul in l'hc slots 246,). But this movement o'li' l'hc screws does not all'ecli lhe position of the slop control 245 because the relative sliding nuiwement oil l'he link with respect ,rrz 3 lo the slop coi'ih'ol 3 conipcusaled for in the spring 25o which l keeps the end 2l-l ol the slop control up under and against l'hc a hul'nieoli screw 21-6.

ll heiu however, {the link screws B l-T and 248 have reached the hollonis olf l'hc slols 2-:l9 the continued moven'iont or pull ol? linh 256 causes l'he slop control 24-5 lo move downward away from the almtn'icni screw 24 6. thus per]hitting the stop 2-Il-2 lo drop awa from under the dog 2&0. Hence the lallcr and the tlieeler control are free to drop within the tube 234.

The relative movements of rho slop Ll-i) and the link 256 are provided to insure against premature downward movement: of the feeder control on the top sheet.

If there is suflicient paper in the pile 30. the liceler control will not be able to drop all the way down on the shelf 2"?) to till the pawl into engagement with the ratchet 22% to raise the elevator. and. in such ca 1 '1 lceler will simply drop on the paper. and

when the separating :arriap'r i'clurns. lluy stop slide 2l2 will be moved upwards under (he dogz' 2l0 h l'he reverse movement of (he link 256. andlherehv ll'll the (log! and 'lcclcr oil the paper.

If the paper need. to be raised, the conl'rol rod will fall down on lthe shell. 232 the pawl will be tilled and the separator arm moves forward on the next Feeder stroke. Figure 1.2 the ratchet will be rotated to turn shaft 223 and the elevator will be raised.

The upper end of the cable 222 is wound around the shaft 223 and then secured to the ratchet 22%. The numeral denotes a stop pawl tlt'or the ratchet 224. A handle 258 is adapted lo be swung upward. to raise said stop pawl when lhe sha ll? 22; will be rotated by the weight oi. the elevator acting on the cables 222. 259 is a handwhcel, Figure 3, for rotating the shaft- 223 hr hand.

260 is a forked guide on top of tube 234:. The feoler arm 2 32 is guided in said guide in proper position in over the paper. The

guide 260 is 'lricliionally adjustahlo on tube 234-.

In the aim zsaid pending application there is disclosed a pneumatic system for the complete operation 01": the feeding altachn'ienl; in cluding the pneumatic pickers, l hc tripping mecluinism of the press and several other suhmechanisms. For the purposes of the present application it is suliicicnl; to note that l he sh aft 103 to which the p rip acr arms are secured is operal'ed by means olian arm 2314,Figure 1. which in turn altar-lied lo the piston rod 513 01 an air driven engine or cylinder 3l l. The latter is fully disclosed in the pendin;- applica lion referred to above. Also that in Figure llhe numeral 232i denotes a pipe through ch air is blown inl'o the i111- hine 188.

llll

Referring now to the means of applying suction. to the pneumatic pickers ill the retercnce numeral 2f l ,l!i;1'nre -.l;. denotes a slide rator am: be ("which carries the separa tors torether with the arm Bl). Within the body 2 H moves a, slide valve M3 3 which has a port The slide valve is oneratcd by a linl:

post till. The link 3 within a pivoted h ale 21-35 and the link is ad a I. "from the pickers coinw ninieates with the port 294, and another pipe ii l. leads from the valve the pipe ll.

it the start ot the teed mgr movement. snepninp by way of pipes 331, valve port 294: and pipes But the teeding movement,

the platein operates the slide valve to wardlv in the body 292) and open up pipes id; to the atinosphere thns breaking: the vacmay he dropped on the platen in an obvious manner. On the return stroke the slide cation between the pickers and the pump.

The feeder as herein disclosed has been valve hodv tahlv snpportml on the sepa- A, l-. I308 pivoted on the; 1'r1 por simportn arm or it? is adpistahly carried inst role by a nut at? The pipe a l leading to the pump and terms a continuation of tion is applied to the pickers 31 from the that s the swing: (it the feeding elements to cut l'ilQ pipe (the valve moving: in-

nnn': in the viokers so that the separated sheet valve is again operated to establish communitested and in practice has solved the problem ol l'oedin a' a Golding: press, and while arranged and designed in connection with a Golding press .nevertheless the invention is not limited thereto as is obvious, and changes and inoditications may readily be made by those skilled in, the art so as to adapt the invention or parts thereot to other press-es without departing from the principle oi? the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

The combination with means for separating and removing: the top sheettroni a pile of sheets, of a platforn'n a paper elevator comprising supports for said platform, a shaft, cables between the latter and the said supports to raise the same, a ratchet for rotating said shaft, a pawl for operating the ratchet, a t'eeler meniher tor :ans ng said pawl to engage the ratchet, ineans itor supporting said feeler member to Contact with the top sheet of the pile, devices for maintainin s said teeler ineinher out of Contact with the paper while the top sheet is hein r scparated and removed therefrom, means nionnted on the said separating and reinovingineans tor operating said lnaintail'iing means away from the feeler member and other means on said separating and removing means for operating the said ratchet.

LEWIS Momnson. 

